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Ryan Dempster struggles; back-end of Red Sox rotation has 6.28 ERA in May

Ryan Lavarnway, Ryan Dempster

Boston Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway, right, makes a trip out to talk to pitcher Ryan Dempster after he gave up one of his two walks to the Minnesota Twins in the third inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 18, 2013, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

MINNEAPOLIS — Four wins in a row does not alter the harsh reality for Red Sox starting pitchers in May. Specifically, for starting pitchers not named Clay Buchholz or Jon Lester.

Ryan Dempster walked a season-high six and gave up five runs in a season-low 4 2/3 innings on Saturday night. He's allowed 11 runs in his last two starts, spanning 9 2/3 innings.

"Throwing strikes. That was a big problem," Dempster said after a 12-5 Red Sox win. "I just didn’t have any command tonight. That sucks. But at the end of the day, we won the game and that’s really all that matters. You can take positives. I fought out of some bases-loaded jams early in the game that kept the game close. Just didn’t hang in there."

Red Sox manager John Farrell acknowledged he gave Dempster the option to stay in the game to complete five innings with two out in the fourth. A hit followed, and Farrell said, too, that "In hindsight, (I) probably should have made the move at the time."

One batter too long or not, there's a problem for the back three in the Sox rotation of late.

In May, Buchholz and Lester have allowed a combined 13 runs in 50 innings. That's a 2.34 ERA from the top of the rotation.

Dempster, John Lackey and Felix Doubront, meanwhile, have 53 innings between them and 37 runs allowed. That's a 6.28 ERA.

"I just couldn’t throw it where I wanted to throw it," Dempster said. "I kept missing away with it, missing up with it, missing off the plate with it. I didn’t really have any of my pitches tonight. That’s frustrating when you’re out there and can’t throw your fastball where you want, can’t throw your split where you want and can’t throw your slider where you want. Just have to work on it between starts and get them next time."